As the Calgary Zoo prepares for an outside review after a series of bizarre animal deaths in recent years, a respected conservationist who ran the facility for 20 years is coming to the embattled institution’s defence.
“I think it’s totally unfair to think that they’re neglecting the animals or that they’re not doing the best they can,” says Peter Karsten. He retired in the mid-’90s after running the zoo as an “oasis of nature” — a philosophy that’s since shifted towards more of an entertainment model, he says.
Earlier this month, a capybara — a large rodent — was crushed to death by a hydraulic door at the zoo. Watchdogs called for an independent review of the facility, and zoo CEO Clément Lanthier has since asked the Association of Zoos and Aquariums in both the U.S. and Canada to conduct a “thorough review.”
Karsten says that while he would run the zoo differently, he’s “suspicious” of zoo watchdogs’ “aggression” towards the facility. “Once you are in their sights, you’ll find that every small thing gets quite intensely looked at and criticized.”
Lanthier says the upcoming review will give Calgarians the needed answers about what’s going on at the zoo.
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